Towards a Theological Synthesis of Christian and Shona Views of Death and the Dead: Implications for Pastoral Care in the Anglican Diocese of Harare, Zimbabwe
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TOWARDS A THEOLOGICAL SYNTHESIS OF CHRISTIAN AND SHONA VIEWS OF DEATH AND THE DEAD: IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORAL CARE IN THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF HARARE, ZIMBABWE. by WILSON T. SITSHEBO A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts of the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Theology Faculty of Arts The University of Birmingham August 2000 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT In this contextual study I investigate why and how the traditional approach to mission, engaged by Anglican missionaries, gave rise to a dual observance of ritual among Shona Anglican Christians. I begin by establishing the significance and essence of Shona views of death and the dead, then investigate the missionaries' historical background. I highlight that Christian arrogance, in the guise of racial superiority, underlies the confrontational and condemnatory approach. Traditional views were considered evil, in their place, Shona converts were forced to adopt western Christian views as the only acceptable and valid way of coping with this eschatological reality. These views did not usually fit the Shona worldviews and religious outlook, hence the adoption of dual observance. For some, life continues to be classified as either Christian or traditional and never both. However, some present Shona Anglican practices reflect a desire to integrate the two. Unless there is this integration, the Church remains other and irrelevant to the Shona people. The ultimate aim of this thesis is to advocate for a theological synthesis of Christian and Shona traditional views. I argue that such a synthesis, patterned on the interactive dialogical model, could lead to the cessation of confrontation and condemnation and its attendant dual observance, and enhance the development of a Shona Christian theology of death and the dead which provides for relevant and sensitive pastoral care. DEDICATION To Chipo Siphiwe, my comrade, friend and wife And Our children, Simbarashe, Phillip and Nonceba Ivy and the whole extended family. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study would not have been possible if it were not for the support and encouragement of colleagues, family and friends. In my vernacular Ndebele, I say to you all, 'ngiyabongalakusasa lingadinwa, ' (Thank you very much,when I approachyou again tomorrow, do not turn me down). On the financial front, I am grateful to the St. Augustine's Foundation for their generous contribution towards my fees. I also thank USPG my employers, and TZABA along with all who contributed financially towards this study. I thank Amanda Davies for the technical support that she gave me. She was always available to advise me when I had difficulties with my computer and actually typed one of the chapters. My wife, Chipo Siphiwe, also spent long hours on the computer typing this dissertation. I am indebted to Lynn Jacob for helping me with proof reading, and to all those who assisted me in any other way. I also acknowledge with gratitude all my informants who volunteered information and insights which helped to shape this study. I apologise to those informants who felt uncomfortable with the interviews and also confess that there were times when I felt as if I was milking a stone for information. Many thanks go to Prof. John K. Parratt, my supervisor, for the way he challenged and ü guided me through this study. He inspiredme through his constructivecriticism, and his knowledge of African Theology helped me to keep my enthusiasm. Finally, I express sincere gratitude to my wife and children for the support they have given me and for the space to go to my office in early mornings, evenings, weekends and vacations to work on this thesis. This enabled me to fit the research into my busy schedule,as Acting Principalof the United College of the Ascension,with relative ease. in TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication i Acknowledgements ii Glossary x Map of Anglican dioceses xii INTRODUCTION 1 1. Preamble 1 2. Statement of problem 1 3. Purpose of the investigation 5 4. The Shona people 8 5. Research methodology 8 6. The structure of the thesis 14 CHA PTER ONE SHONA TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS VIEWS 16 1.1 Introduction 16 1.2 Shona (African) world views 19 1.2.1 The Shona people 19 1.2.2 The world-view 22 1.2.3 Relationshipsof the inhabitants 24 1.3 Understanding humanity 25 1.4 Views of death 29 1.4.1 Death as a phenomenon 30 1.4.2 The burial 35 1.4.3 Ceremonies immediately after burial 47 1.4.4 The tool cleansing rite 50 1.5 Views on the dead 53 1.5.2 Kurova guva 55 1.5.2a Relationship between the living and the dead 65 IV 1.5.2b Significance of the relationship between the living and the dead 66 1.5.3 Family membership of the dead 68 1.6 Conclusion 70 CHAPTER TWO THE MISSIONARY ERA 73 2.1 Introduction 73 2.2 Historical setting 74 2.3 Missionary approaches 78 2.3.1 The village visits 85 2.3.2 Mission stations 88 2.4 Missionary teaching 94 2.4.1 Burial practices 98 2.4.2 Church literature on burial 102 2.5 Winding up the missionary era 105 2.6 Conclusion 107 CHA PTER THREE SHONA RESPONSES TO CHRISTIANITY 110 3.1 Introduction 110 3.2 Anthropological responses 111 3.2.1 Demand for labour 112 3.2.2 The hut tax 115 3.2.3 Religion and world views 118 3.2.4 Response options 122 3.3 Responses to Christianity 125 3.3.1 Early responses 129 3.3.2 Adaptive responses 132 3.3.2.1 The economic factor 132 3.3.2.2 Education 1ý5 V 3.3.2.3 The Bible 138 3.3.2.4 Denominationalism 141 3.3.2.5 Jesus Christ 143 3.3.3 Christianity and its Shona context 146 3.3.4 African Initiated Churches 150 3.4 Conclusion 154 CHAPTER FOUR CHRISTIANITY AND SHONA TRADITIONAL RELIGION IN DIALOGUE 156 4.1 Introduction 156 4.2 Present practices 158 4.2.1 Urban setting 159 4.2.2 Rural setting 166 4.2.3 The wake-keeping 168 4.2.4 The day of interment 173 4.2.5 Interment and its observances 175 4.2.6 Variations in observances 178 4.3 Textual analysis 183 4.3.1 Hymns 184 4.3.1.1 God 185 4.3.1.2 Jesus Christ 189 4.3.1.3 The Holy Spirit 191 4.3.1.4 Death 192 4.3.1.5 The dead 194 4.3.2 Choruses 196 4.3.3 Prayers 198 4.3.5 Bible readings 203 4.4 The Dialogue 204 4.5 Kurova guva 209 vi 4.6 Conclusion 210 CHAPTER FIVE TOWARDS A THEOLOGICAL SYNTHESIS 212 5.1 Introduction 212 5.2 Methodological considerations 214 5.2.1 Missionary approaches 214 5.2.2 Missionary and colonial collaboration 218 5.2.3 African Theology 222 5.3 Contextual considerations 225 5.3.1 Social changes 232 5.3.2 Culture and theology 234 5.3.3 A theological understanding of culture 239 5.4 The bible and its translation 242 5.4.1 Biblical hermeneutic 243 5.4.2 A theological hermeneutic 247 5.5 Towards a theological synthesis 251 5.6 The need for a theological model 254 5.6.1 The interactive dialogical model 258 5.6.2 Assumptions of the interactive dialogical model 262 5.6.3 A critique of the interactive dialogical model 267 CHA PTER SIX IMPLICATIONS OF ENGAGING THE INTERACTIVE DIALOGICAL MODEL 276 6.1 Introduction 276 6.2 The Zimbabwe social setting 277 6.3 Theological insights 279 6.4 Application of the model 286 6.5 Present patterns of Anglican theology 288 6.5.1 Missionary or Official Anglicanism 289 vii 6.5.2 Folk Anglicanism 290 6.5.3 The Sceptics 293 6.6 Analysis of the Church's official approach 297 6.7 Towards an official contextual practice 299 6.8 Gospel and culture in relation to Shona traditions 302 6.9 Conclusion 308 CHAPTER SEVEN IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORAL CARE 309 7.1 Introduction 309 7.2 The relevance of the church 312 7.3 The bible and Shona traditions of death and the dead 317 7.3.1 Contextual reading of the bible 320 7.3.2 Contextual relevance of the bible 324 7.3.3 Understanding pastoral care 328 7.4 Shona views of death and pastoral care 333 7.5 Shona views on the dead and pastoral care 335 7.6 The quest for relevant pastoral care 340 7.61 Varying positions 341 7.6.2 Symbolism and rituals 346 7.6.3 Dealing with dual observance 349 7.7 Implications for pastoral care 351 7.8 Conclusion 356 CHA PTER EIGHT CONCLUSION 358 8.1 The communal nature of Shona life 358 8.2 Confrontation and condemnation 360 8.3 Christian and Shona traditional views 363 8.4 Towards a synthesis 367 viii 8.5 The way forward 372 APPENDICES 378 BIBLIOGRAPHY 448 ix GLOSSARY OF SHONA WORDS baba : father chiKaranga : speech, customs, manner of life of the vaKaranga people chimutsamapfihwa : substitute wife given to widower to replace wife who has died chirikadzi : widow chirongo : earthenware pot for carrying and storing drinking water dariro : circle of people (especially in dance).